You have always had my heart
by KatnissHermioneAnnabeth
Summary: Peeta Mellark has just come back from the army to try and find the one person he has missed more than anyone in the world. It was true that he had broken up with her but his reason hadn't been told, he never wanted to but that wasn't the point. But when he does find her (sooner then he thought) he finds that she's hiding a few things from him. Will she let him back into her life?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my readers, sorry if you don't like. All people have a right to their own opinion, anyway this is an idea I got from a friend of mine.  
I do not Own the hunger games**

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Peeta Mellark sat on the hard seat of the bus, he had been on it for a full three hours after getting off a long plane ride. Thankful to be out of combat and back in the states he had come home to see his family. But he hadn't been able to see the one person who meant most to him. Katniss Everdeen had been 17 and crying when he had last seen her. She was the reason he had joined the army, he couldn't see her no matter how much he wanted to. Their break up had been extremely messy because...they had lost their virginities to each other that very day...but her father had also threatened to send her away if they didn't break up by that night. Peeta loved her with all his heart even after three years of being apart, he was going back to find her in fact.

"Panemville!" **(I know it's lame I couldn't think of anything)** The bus driver shouts as he pulls up to the stop.

Peeta gets up and walks out with his bag slung over his shoulder, the street was dark, dirty, and unwelcoming. Just as he remembered from the night he left for the army. He walked down the dingy street and walks into a small grimy cafe, when he sits down an older woman comes up and asks "What can I get you deary?"

"Coffee..." he sighs while looking at the small menu. As he looks through the food choices he hears a woman saying "I'm clocking out! You take care of the last customer dear" He looks up to find a young woman with pale skin, grey eyes, and dark brown hair. "Peeta?" A soft voice says, he looks up and sees the face of the one person he loved more than anything else in the world. "Katniss?" Her eyes meet his and she whispers "Why are you here?!"

"I came to find you..."

"Congratulations you have now leave me alone!" She hisses. Grey eyes met blue but what Peeta didn't expect was for those grey eyes to fill with tears. Katniss refilled his coffee cup and nearly ran back to the kitchen. He sighs and knows inside that she was hiding something from him. Was it the fact that she may still love him? Was she hiding a new boyfriend? Was she hiding...a girlfriend?

"Hey! Soldier boy! We're closing! Pay at the register and get out!" A gruff man from the kitchen shouts. Peeta looks around from Katniss but with her no where in sight he finished his coffee quickly and paid the small man at the counter. He grabs his bag to leave when he sees Katniss leaving with a tattered black coat wrapped tightly around her and her satchel bag swinging at her side due to her swift pace. "Katniss!" He shouts after her as a light rain began to fall onto them from the foreboding clouds above. Her pace becomes quicker with the knew knowledge that he was following her, she turned a corner in the filthy street and disappeared from his sight. Peeta runs after her to see she was running into a shabby apartment building. By the time he gets into the building she had gone up the elevator. "Excuse me sir are you looking for someone?" A greasy voice says from the lobby manager.

"Yes, Katniss Everdeen! Where did she go?" He asks

"Her room, are you a friend or relative"

"Boyfriend" Peeta said coldly

"Oh, well she's on floor five, apartment 12A. Have fun" The man shrugs indifferently while returning to reading the magazine in his hands. Peeta ran off to the stairs since the elevator was currently in operation,_ thank god for my army training!_ He thinks as he reaches the fifth floor. He runs down the hall to find her apartment door with chipping paint. Peeta takes a deep breath while his heart hammers in his chest, he knocks firmly on the door but hears a loud giggle from behind the door and someone knocks back playfully. Peeta is startled for a second but knocks again, the person on the other side knocks again in reply. "Bentley! Get away from the door hon!" Katniss's voice says. _Who's Bentley?..._

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**Sorry for the cliffhanger and the pretty short chapter but I though that this was a good point to end it at. Soon I'll be writing while in FLORIDA! Vacation :)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's**** the newest chapter, hope you like it. If not sorry :(**

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Peeta stood staring at the ugly door waiting for it to open and reveal whomever was in the apartment with Katniss. When the door finally opens Katniss is revealed wearing a soft brown sweater and black yoga pants, her hair is still hanging around her face and she is smiling widely...until she notices that the person knocking on her door is Peeta. Her heart seems to stop and she whispers "Peeta?! What are you doing at my apartment?!"

Peeta stares at her blankly before asking "who was knocking back?"

"No one!" She says with wide eyes and a terrified edge to her tone. His eyes narrow and says "don't insult my intelligent Katniss." Her heart seems to stop as she starts to panic, he now knows for sure that she is keeping something from him. Something big.

_flash back_

_Peeta sat happily in his truck while waiting for his girlfriend to come out of her house, Katniss Everdeen was his girlfriend and he couldn't have been happier, they'd been together about a year and we're falling for each other faster then he had ever imagined. The school year was reaching its end making him excited for their graduation from the dinky little school of Panem High. Peeta pulled the small black box from his pocket, would she accept it. Would she WANT to be his wife? At the very thought of her marrying someone ELSE made the blood in his veins she fall for someone else? Did she really love him?_

_"Peeta!" he hears from beside the car. He throws the box back into his pocket as he sees Katniss's step father standing beside His car. "Yes sir?"_

_"I don't want you dating Katniss anymore. You're to break up with her by tomorrow morning or I'm sending her away. Got it."_

_"don't you want her to be happy?" Peeta whispers while glaring at him._

_"I want her with someone respectable. Not some riffraff army wannabe who seems to think he's good enough for her!" With that he walked away with the same old sour expression on his face, Peeta however felt heartbroken. What was he to do, he didn'to want to hurt Katniss but he also didn'to want her to be sent away..._

_...a few moments later..._

_Katniss jumped into the car and planted a sweet kiss on his lips, "Peeta what's wrong?"_

_"nothing kit kat...let's go" Peeta started the car and drove down to their favorite spot to talk at, an old lake where she had gone with her father as a child. "Peeta! Are you sure you're ok."_

_"yeah I'm ok...may I ask you something?"_

_"of course you can!" _

_"What would you do if tonight were our last night together?"_

_"I would.…ask you to make love to me for the first time. I would want something to remind me what it was like to feel a love as true as ours. Why?" She says with a curious glint in her eyes._

_"no reason, but could we...could we act like it was?"_

_she doesn't answer at first but she kisses him softly and so lovingly that it almost brought him to tears. As the seconds grew to minutes their kiss became more. But as they progressed from passionate kisses to making love for the first and perhaps last time, Peeta felt his very heart breaking. He wanted to tell her what her step father had said, he wanted to tell her he loved her more than he could ever love someone but the words would not come to his mouth. She thought this was the start of their lives together when it was truly the end of a love most perfect. If on,y she could read his mind at that moment but her heart blinded her to what seemed obvious to him. As she curls into his chest exhausted he whispers "You will always have my heart" but by the time the words had escaped his puffy lips he found that she had fallen asleep with her head on his chest._

**Back to present**

Peeta stared at her, his heart hammered against his rib cage as the realization hit him. "How could you not tell me?"

Her eyes water but she stands firm in front if the door "Didn't tell you what?"

"DO NOT TAKE ME FOR A FOOL! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL MEI WAS A FATHER?!"

"You slept with me then DUMPED me if I remember correctly. In the same night too. I didn't think you wanted anything to do with us. What did you expect?"

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"he's a boy, his name is Bentley. He's two."

"can I meet him?"

"why would you want to?!"

Because I have never stopped loving you and I never will. He is my son too and I have the right to meet my son and be with the mother of my child. Do you get that yet?"

"don't talk down to me Peeta Mellark!"

Peeta finally snaps and pushes her against the wall so that she was trapped between him and the ugly wall. He leaned down seconds later and aggressively pressed his lips to hers...


	3. Chapter 3

**here's the newest chapter guys. Sorry if there are some things wrong with capitalization but my aunt is letting me type on her iPad instead of my phone and it happens to be a bit finicky when it comes to typing. So pleas just bear with me.**

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Katniss stood there shocked as she felt the familiar sensation of Peeta's lips on hers, her first thought is to give in and kiss him back with all of the bottled up feelings she still had even three years and one baby later. But her still broken heart screamed for her to stop, to run from the man that had ruined her love life. She would never love anyone else, but that didn't mean she had to love him ever again…or tell him that she did. As these thoughts shoot through her head Peeta began to slip his tongue into her mouth, her heart screamed for him to stop but her heart was numbing with the feeling of his kisses. Finally she makes up her mind...and bites down on his tongue making him cry out and pull his mouth away. He does not however let go of her. She remains stuck Between the wall and Peeta. "Let me go Peeta."

"Katniss. You are the woman if my dreams, the mother if my child, the love of my life. I'm never going to let you go again, accept it now." he kisses her forehead making her struggle against him more than before. That's when the apartment door opens to reveal a small blonde boy with grey eyes, he wore a pair of footie pajamas covered with dinosaurs. "mommy?" He says confused

"Bentley go back inside. Mommy will be back in a moment." Katniss says. Her struggles cease almost immediately as Peeta and Bentley stare at each other.

"Bentley?..." Peeta whispers with tears rising slowly to his eyes. Katniss felt him let go as he turned and sank to his knees to see his son, her heart she had surrounded with ice melted a little more at the sight of the father and son meeting for the first time. Bentley slowly dropped the little bear he was holding, his little grey eyes widen as he takes in the man he had asked about forever, the man who he wanted in his life more than anything else in his little heart. "Daddy?" Katniss closes her eyes as Bentley opens his heart to Peeta, she loved Peeta. She loved their son. She wanted them to be a family...she really did. But the day she had Bentley...she told herself she wouldn't wait for Peeta. Never wish upon a star for him to come to her again. Never cry herself to sleep about him. Never love any man other then her son. She was now being tested. Would she keep her promises to herself or give in. Give in to the man who stole her heart and killed it? Give in to the man who dumped her like a sack of shit?...the man who gave her their son?...the man who came back?...

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**sorry guys I know it's really short but I thought it was a good spot to end it, if you like it I'm glad to appease if not, sorry :(**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everybody, I'm back at the keyboard. I hope you guys are having a great summer since mine seems to suck other then fan fiction...anyway enough about me I hope you like this chapter.**

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Peeta stood there in the dirty apartment complex hallway watching his son, HIS son tittle over to him with tears coming to his big grey eyes. "Daddy?"

"That's right Bentley, I'm your daddy" Peeta whispers while Bentley slammed himself into his arms. Peeta felt tears fall down his cheeks. How could she have never told him, this was his child that he only just now met. How could he have lived without this child? Bentley hugged him tightly as he rambles "mommy and daddy are together now and we will live happy and have a puppy and a kitty and play games! Right daddy?!"

"right little man"? Peeta says while looking straight at Katniss. She sighs and nods, she avoids his eyes while Bentley continues hugging Peeta. Bentley simply held onto Peeta with his eyes closed to hold in the tears of joy that rise there. "Daddy"...he whispers Peeta sat there for who knows how long, just holding his son. Before long he picks up his son and takes him back into the tiny apartment with Katniss. Katniss solemnly looked at him as she turned to what seemed to be her bedroom, Bentley meanwhile was falling asleep fast with his head on Peeta's shoulder. Peeta looked down the hall and found a small linen closet, a small bathroom, a little bedroom with dinosaurs and toys everywhere (obviously bentley's room) and a door at the very end of the hallway that was closed. It was obviously Katniss's room, he carried Bentley into his bedroom and laid him on the toddler bed made of large plastic crayons. Once Bentley was all tucked in Peeta kissed his head goodnight and left the boy's room to knock on Katniss's bedroom door.

"Who is it?" She calls

"Katniss, it's Peeta...come out and talk to me?"

"I have to get ready for work."

"Katniss. You just got back from work."

"Sorry to break it to you asshole but I have two jobs, we can't all be rich Mellark." she says coldly from the other side of the door. Her tone made it clear that she was only dealing with him because of Bentley.

"who watches Bentley?"

She opens the door, she was dressed in a black tank top and jean shorts along with black converse. "Tonight you are. I already called Annie and canceled. At least she has a boyfriend to spend time with."

"So do you."

"I beg your pardon Mellark. I do not. I am a single mom and I have been for a while now." she scowls. Peeta stared at her for a moment then grabbed her hand. She pulls it away as quickly as he took it. But Peeta was not one to give up so easily, he took her hand again but this time he held tighter so she could not escape his grip. She tugged and tugged but soon found that there was no escape, she decided since she obviously wasn't going anywhere at the moment she could at least scowl at him. "Let me go!"

"No. Katniss, let me explain. It hurt me everyday to be away from you, I won't leave you now. Not when I know we have a son. I love you both and i won't let either of you go now that I've found you two." Peeta says in a deadly whisper. His eyes stare into hers with an intensity she hadn't seen in years, she was half frightened half surprised.

"Peeta. I need to get to work."

"Quit. I make enough money to support you and our son."

"I don't need you! I am supporting myself and my son just fine!" she says angrily, she begins to tug her arm again but it still didn't budge. Peeta rolls his eyes, picks her up and puts her over his shoulder. She starts beating his back with her fists as he carries her back to her bedroom.

"Peeta put me down! Do not touch me!" she growls quietly, not wanting to wake Bentley.

Peeta places her on the bed then closes and locks the door behind him. Peeta stares at her as she gets off of her bed red-faced. "What the HELL was that about?!"

"You need to calm down Kit Kat." her eyes soften slightly at the sound of her old nickname but harden again as she mutters "Don't call me that. Don't ever call me that again. You lost the right to when you dumped me!"

"Kit Kat...baby...please listen to me...what are you doing?" He asks while she simply grabs her keys from her end table and a small satchel-like bag. She doesn't answer him but opens her window and climbs out onto a fire escape he wished he had noticed beforehand.

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**hey guys, another short chapter but I want to know what you think should happen. I have had a few ideas and I'd love some reviews to answer please :)**

**1. Peeta pulls her back in before she can climb down the fire escape**

**2. Katniss climbs down the fire escape and goes to her second mystery job**

**3. YOUR ideas. If you get a better idea tell me. I'd love to know. Thanks again for reading, hope to see your reviews soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, the choice is made, and that is #2 It was a tie so I flipped a coin. But rest assured they'll talk through some things, if you are curious about her job you'll find out what it is. It isn't the most pleasant or glamorous, so please don't give me mean reviews for it. I am so happy that I got a decent vote for this, any way I'm babbling. Let the chapter begin. (Btw to answer your question SimonLewisDaBae, Katniss is pissy as I planned for her to be. But she is because she feels bitter toward Peeta for leaving her after taking her virginity and impregnating her. She has gone through nearly three years of hell because he left. But that was a valid question and thank you for the review.)**

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Katniss made it down the fire escape as quickly as she could while making sure Peeta did not follow her. She didn't need his input on her night job. It was NOT what she wanted to be as a teen but to help her child have a better life she was willing to do it. Lord knows the tips were better than what she got at the diner, she may have hated it but it was her job. She worked at a strip club called "The Seam" and she was a dancer. It was a last resort job but what could she do? She was lucky to have a job at all.

She walked down the darkening streets wearily wishing she had a car for the millionth time. As she got closer and closer to The Seam she thought more and more about Peeta. Why DID he come back? Why did he want his son? Why did he want her? Where had he been all this time?

"You're late Catnip. Get changed and get the fuck on the stage. You know this is your night and you somehow manage to be late." growled the manager of The Seam, Gale Hawthorn wasn't too much older than her but he somehow managed to open this place..."Yes sir, gimme a minute or so..." Katniss sighed defeatedly.

Peeta meanwhile, found her landline phone and called the speed-dial number that said "Annie" "Hello?"

hey...I'm guessing you're Annie, I am Peeta...I am Bentley's father...could you come watch him? I need to find Katniss... "

"You're the deadbeat asshole that dumped her?!" A woman shouts through the phone

"HEY! I didn't even know about Bentley, and I never wanted to break up with her. I didn't have a choice and she doesn't understand yet. Just...just please...tell me where she works. I HAVE to find her...and watch Bentley just until we get back...please?"

"Fine. I'll be there in five minutes. She works at a strip club called The Seam. It's two blocks from her apartment a on Fleetstreet. I have a key you can go ahead and go now." Annie sighs. Peeta hangs up then leaves as fast as he could. The streets were even darker now as he walks down the dank streets, people leer at him under the cover of darkness. Peeta nearly ran the two blocks to Fleet Street and silently vowed to move Bentley and Katniss to a better neighborhood. A flashing light catches his eye, he turns to find the pink and blue fluorescent lights of The Seam. He goes through the small front door and is greeted by the sight of Katniss in nothing but a pair of heels, a black thong, a cat tail, and a pair of cat ears on her head. At that something inside him snapped, Katniss however hadn't even noticed he was there. She definitely did notice him as he pushed his way to the stage and pulled her down into his arms. He covered her up with his jacket and pushed her to the dressing rooms. "Peeta what the hell are you doing?! I'm going to lose my job!" Katniss hisses as he slams the door behind him.

"Good, I am taking you home so get dressed."

"You can't tell me what to do, you are not my father."

"No I'm not. I'm the father of OUR child and your boyfriend."

"You are NOT my boyfriend. Far from it."

The door behind them bangs open suddenly to reveal Gale,minis eyes are burning as he looks at Peeta. "YOU! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I'm a soldier taking care of his girlfriend. Who the hell are you?" Peeta returns calmly and coldly

"I'm the owner of this club. I'm her boss."

"Not anymore. She doesn't work here anymore."

"Peeta!" Katniss starts but Peeta stops her before continuing "I'll take her home once she's dressed. You can go now."

Gale leaves in a huff making the door slam again, Peeta pushes Katniss's clothes at her and mutters get dressed.

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**one hour later**

Peeta sat on the couch as he listened to the sound of the shower down the hallway, Katniss hadn't said a word since he told her to get dressed at the club. When they had entered her apartment she had gone straight for the shower, leaving him to say goodbye to a frazzled Annie. Bentley was still sound asleep in his bed and thankfully wouldn't hear the argument that was sure to come. "Peeta?" A small voice says from behind him. He looks around to see Katniss in her pajamas with a blanket and pillow in her arms. "We don't have much space here. So you'll have to bunk on the couch."

"Baby can we please talk about this?" Peeta pleads

"Yes...better talk and argue now rather than let Bentley hear." Katniss sighs. She hands him the blanket and pillow before sitting in a small chair across from the couch. She looks at him "well? I thought you wanted to explain."

"I do. Katniss...I never wanted to break up with you. I loved you with all my heart just as I do now. You are the love of my life and to find that I have a child with you...it put me over the moon. I know you won't forgive me anytime soon...but I want to start mending the bond we had...please Kit Kat?" He ends with a whisper.

"I was planning to take Bentley to the Zoo tomorrow...if you took us...that would mean the world to him...that would be a good start..." She smiles weakly at him before going to bed.

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**hey guys, hoped you liked it. If not I'm sorry, anyway if you have any suggestions review and tell me about them. I'd love to hear your ideas!**


	6. Chapter 6

**hello my friends, glad you liked the last chapter, if you have any suggestions please tell me in a comment or something. On with the story!**

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The next morning...

Katniss woke from her fitful sleep at about nine in the morning to find the smell of bacon wafting through the apartment. She hadn't had bacon in a while considering she and Bentley mostly had cereal or poptarts for breakfast, the smell was also followed by the sound of Bentley giggling in the kitchen. She wasted no time changing and going into her tiny kitchen to find Peeta buttering a stack of toast while plating scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes made from scratch. "Mommy! Daddy made breakfast!" Bentley grins at her.

"I see that, thank you...Peeta. She mumbles as she puts the plates of food on the table, she feels Peeta's eyes in her but she doesn't want to meet his gaze. "Coffee or juice Kat?" He asks with a hopeful hint to his voice. "Juice is fine...can I talk to you after breakfast?"

"Sure Kit Kat, how'd you sleep?"

"Fine...and you?" She mutters in an attempt at being civil, her eyes stay on the forks she was laying on the table alongside the mismatched plates. Bentley was drinking orange juice from an Elmo sippy cup as he watched his newly reunited parents talk awkwardly...although his father was not as awkward as his mom. As they eat Peeta and Bentley talk about what they wanted to do that day, Katniss picks at her food silently. Her eyes stayed on her plate for the whole meal, by the end of it Bentley is leaving to go get dressed for their day out. "What did you want to talk about?" Peeta asks while cleaning off the table.

"Listen...about the zoo...I don't have enough money to pay for three tickets...I don't even have enough for all three of us to ride the bus...if you wanted to be alone with him you'd have enough for the tickets and the bus. If you walked you could probably get something to eat at the zoo..." Katniss says softly with her eyes watering

"Katniss money isn't a problem. I'm covering everything for today...I have a trust fund with my parents and the money I've earned from the army. And we aren't riding the bus. My brother Leven dropped off my car this morning along with a car seat for Bentley, besides I wanted to spend the day with my son AND my girl." Peeta says firmly

"Peeta, I'm letting you stay here for Bentley. I said you could try and make it up to me, that does not make me 'your girl'. ok?"

"Kit Kat as much as I love you, you're stubborn. At least let this be a date? Please? I know you still feel for me. I know you do, so please?"

"Will you let this go if I say yes?"

"yes."

"Fine, it's a...it's a date..." katniss says quietly. Her heart was already melting and pining for him. But her mind told her that he had broken her heart...he could do it again

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**an hour later on the way to the zoo**

Peeta sat in the drivers seat of his car while waiting for the light to turn green, Katniss was playing with the end of her braid as he drove them to the zoo. Bentley meanwhile was practically bouncing out of his seat with excitement. He was going to the zoo for the first time ever, not only that but his daddy was taking him AND his mommy there. "Peeta, honestly I can pay for my ticket and Bentley's, you don't have to." Katniss says quietly

"Katniss we've been over this. I will pay for you and our son, let me?"

"...fine..." she sighs. Bentley didn't understand why his mother was so upset with daddy...didn't bacon make it all better? It did for him...

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**10 minutes later at the zoo  
**

Peeta kept his hand at the small of Katniss's back as they walked up to the ticket booth, "Hello, I need two adult tickets and one child ticket."  
He says cheerily to the smiling older woman.

"Sure hon, is this your wife and baby?" She asks as she prints out the tickets.

"Yep, my beautiful little family. Thank you ma'am, have a nice day." He smiles proudly while taking the tickets and handing her the money.

"You too sir"

He leads Katniss into the gates happily with a spring in his step at just the thought that they looked like a couple, a family..."Peeta? Where should we go first?" Katniss asks quietly with her eyes on the ground. He kisses her temple "The butterfly house first, then i was thinking the bird sanctuary then a run through the aquarium section. Then of course lunch." Peeta smiles.

"Alright, before we start all hat I'd like to go to the bathroom. Can you watch Bentley?"

"Sure, we'll be in the little gift shop over there. Bentley may want a shirt or something" Peeta smiles happily as she walks away when suddenly Bentley says "Daddy! Why is mommy mad at you?"

"Oh...um...that's a hard question buddy..."

"I got time daddy..." Peeta sighs then responds "Mommy is mad because daddy went away from her for a long time for a stupid reason. Daddy didn't know she was gonna have you so he didn't come back till now."

"So that's why mommy is mad and sad?"

"Yes"

"Peeta Mellark..." Katniss's voice growls from behind him...uh oh

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**thanks for reading, I'm so glad i got past the writers block thanks to a friend. Anyway the next chapter will start with the reaction from Katniss.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry its taken me so long, I know that it's been a while but here it is.**

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"Peeta...we _will_ talk about this later, that is a promise. She growls with her eyes boring into him. Bentley looks between his parents nervously, he just got his daddy...he didn't want his daddy to go again.

"Mommy?...can we go to the elephant place?" He asks trying to distract them from what was wrong. Katniss turns to him and kisses his little nose before pushing his stroller toward the elephant sanctuary.

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**That night after dinner**

Katniss stood at the sink washing dishes with a scowl on her face, Peeta had lost all of the little respect that she had for him by telling their _son _about the problems in what was left of their relationship if there was anything left of it.

"Katniss, baby..." She hears him say softly, she rolls her eyes and continues washing the dishes.

"Kat, come on you said we could talk later..."

"Fine, you want me to talk?! I'll talk! You decided to tell MY son about OUR problems! You wanted today to be a date right?! Well that was the WORST date of my life! I shouldn't have given you another chance!" She hisses with her eyes burning with anger.

"Hey! He is my son too! I didn't give him details and as for that being the worst date of your life I was trying my best! You didn't pay attention to me for a single moment at the zoo! I tried romancing you the entire time yet you don't care! I want to make this work and NOT just for Bentley's sake. I love you and I have for years and I will continue to love you for the rest of my life whether you like it or not." he growls softly, he grabs her hand and pulls her to him. "Let me go! You don't care!" She hisses angrily. Her soft grey eyes hardened in anger. Peseta sighs but his grip remains tight around her waist while laying his head on hers. "Don't hate me...I don't know how to be a dad. I was an idiot. the one thing I do know is that I love you both and need in you in my life. Let me make it right...please?" He whispers and as she opens her mouth to tell him she didn't believe a word of it when she felt hot wet tears hit her head...he was crying...Peeta NEVER cried..."Peeta...I'm sorry for how I reacted...don't cry...please don't..." She whispers. peeta hugs her more tightly and for the first time in years she wrapped her arms around him in return and let him hold her.

"I love you Katniss. I always will."

"I...I...I love you too..." She whispers. The words felt foreign in her mouth but not at all bad. The ice around her heart shattered into a million pieces causing all of those pent up emotions spill out like a dam bursting. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry! I never let you explain! Please explain it now. I love you Peeta." She sobs quietly. She didn't let go and after a few minutes Peeta simply picked her up bridak style and carried her to her bedroom. "Kat...your stepfather threatened to send you away from me if we didn't break up. And I'm sorry that you felt like I didn't want you or Bentley. If I had known I would have done things differently but I can't change the past. What I can do is make up for it now. I've had this since the night of our first time and I've wanted to ask you everyday since. He pulls a small old black box from his pocket, he bends down on one knee and opens it while holding it out to her. She looks down at the modest princess cut diamond on the white gold band, her heart seemed to pound faster and faster in her chest. "Will you marry me Katniss Everdeen?"

"Yes...I will Peeta" she pulls him from the floor and kisses his lips very softly almost as if she thought he would disappear. He wordlessly slipped the ring onto her left hand as he continued to kiss her. As their kissed turned into lovemaking Peeta and Katniss were both on the same page. They were together and they wouldn't let go this time.


End file.
